


Linger

by theimaginesyouneveraskedfor



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-25
Updated: 2017-02-25
Packaged: 2018-09-26 21:12:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9922286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theimaginesyouneveraskedfor/pseuds/theimaginesyouneveraskedfor
Summary: Kay Hemlock is a criminal psychologist assigned to the case of Loki Laufeyson. Will she be able to unravel the knot of a villain's mind or will it unravel her?





	

Kay rubbed her eyes as she leaned back in the chair which she spent most hours, the wheelie contraption nearly slipping out from under her as she did. As a criminal psychologist, she had not thought to have wasted so much time before a computer screen than with actual felons. _Was it terrible that she would rather sit in a poorly-lit interrogation room with a known murderer than type safely from the comfort of her desk?_

Her work day had ended two hours ago, but as any day she found herself held up by the tedious write-ups she was forced to submit on deranged individuals. She would be better used if they allowed her to ply her methods to these offenders rather than paper. No wonder the system was so ineffective and so many continued in the same patterns, even behind bars. Perhaps her superiors thought they were protecting her or that there was nothing to truly be done for such sinister criminals. Whatever the reason, it was racking her back with pain and should she remain longer in her chair, she would be due for another chiropractor appointment.

As she stood and stretched her arms above her in the desolate office, her phone vibrated violently across her desk and the ringer blared sharply in the silence. With a groan, she picked up her phone without looking at the caller and held it to her ear.

“Kay Hemlock speaking,” Her voice was dull with fatigue and she already regretted answering.

“Kay, it’s Fury,” The tone alone confirmed his statement and it not been so long that she could not recognize the director’s unimpressed tone, “You busy?”

“Would it matter if I was?” She audibly sighed as she picked her leather bag up off the floor and set it on her chair, packing away her files and other belongings as she kept the phone against her ear with her shoulder, “What is it this time? Don’t you realize I have an actual job?”

“I outrank your boss,” He replied plainly and she snapped shut the clasp of the briefcase, “And it’s not much different from your last stint. In fact, it’s nearly one and the same.”

“Fury, you better get to the point before I break this phone in half,” She threatened and shouldered her bag as she turned to the door, a dark figure stopping her in her tracks.

“Go ahead, it won’t matter,” Fury stepped forward and hung up his phone, “Kay, it’s _him_.”

“No,” She looked away, hoping the words would be rescinded, “Not again.”

“Sorry, Kay, but he won’t talk to anyone else,” Fury explained grimly, his usually stoic demeanour betraying genuine sympathy, “He asked for you specifically.”

“Ask, ask, ask,” She grumbled and pocketed her phone, “He’s a megalomaniac. Why should you just hand him all he desires on a silver platter?”

“You know it’s not like that,” The director argued and crossed his arms, “You made progress last time, you know you did…Please, Kay, I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t think you were the only person for the job.”

“How much?” Kay asked pointed as the squared her shoulders.

“What?” Fury looked perplexed for a half-second before his veneer realigned.

“Money. You better be paying me well for another descent into that abyss,” She countered and the hint of a smirk on his lips sealed their contract.

“Trust me,” He assured her as he waved her forward to follow him, “I can make it worth your time.”

* * *

Kay stood looking through the one-way glass which separated her from the villain within. Stark had assured her it could not be broken and that she was entirely protected behind it. He had said that of the prisoner’s last cell and he had found a way out of that. At least that time, she had been kept on the other side of the barrier but she would be forced to enter the dragon’s den on this occasion. It had been a very specific part of the request though she could not fathom why they were so easily bending to his will.

“You’ll be alright,” Bruce stepped up beside her, running a hand through his greying hair, “You’ve got me and the other guy looking out for you.”

“Oh, is that why you’ve deemed it safe for me to be in there with him?” She challenged darkly and he winced at her tone.

“You know we wouldn’t let you go in there otherwise,” He assured and reached a hand in his pocket as he searched blindly in the fabric, “I almost forgot, this is what’s going to keep you safe.”

Kay watched as he pulled at a plain bracelet of silver and unclasped it to open it on its hinge. He waited for her to place her wrist in the metal band and she did so with hesitation.

“Am I to distract him with shiny objects?” She pondered dryly and the usually affable Bruce rolled his eyes.

“This bracelet will sense your fear levels, if you feel unsafe it will send a wave of electricity outward and keep him at bay,” He explained and secured the bracelet with a final squeeze of your wrist, “We’ve taken every precaution, Kay.”

“Oh, so you’ve strapped a taser to my arm?” She admired the bracelet as she held it up in the light, “Well, I suppose it’s better than nothing.”

“Lady Kay,” Thor arose at last from the chair he sat on and broke his long-held silence, “My brother, I want him back. He is all I have now and…even with all that he’s done, I can’t just let him go.”

“I know, Thor,” Kay brushed his arm gently with her hand, “I’ll try but I can’t make any promises. The last time we met…well, we all know what happened afterwards.”

“It won’t happen this time,” Bruce interjected once more, “The other guy’s gonna keep his cool.”

“He better,” Natasha chimed in as she turned from her vigil at the window, “I haven’t stretched today.”

“Alright,” Kay exhaled through her nerves and reluctantly made her way towards the doors, “No point in putting it off any longer.”

“Kay, you’ll be alright,” Fury promised as he punched in the code to unlock the doors, “You’re the best person for the job.”

“The only,” She corrected with dread as she stepped into the bright tunnel between observation room and cell, the door closing behind her with a whoosh.

Slowly, she neared the next set of doors and only then realized her hands were held in such tight fists that her fingernails were digging into her palms. Releasing her finger, she looked to the camera and nodded, the doors before her opening almost at once. Kay forced herself through but found nothing but an empty chamber. She looked around, turning in full circles, and glanced desperately to the unseen window with confusion as her search proved fruitless. Without any signal from her observers, she shrugged and turned once more, nearly bowled over by the figure that appeared before her suddenly.

Kay stepped back as she looked up at Loki, his green eyes following her with interest as he remained silent. His black hair was longer than the last time they had met though it was just as sleek and he was just as imposing as he stood unmoving before her. Edging away from him and creating space between them, Kay cleared her throat and raised her head with resolution. This was merely one of his games.

“Loki,” She greeted coldly as she planted her feet, “You requested my help?”

“No, not your help,” He corrected, “Merely you. I do get bored all on my lonesome. A cat needs a mouse to play with.”

“Hmmp,” She crossed her arms at once, both with annoyance and subconsciously to shield herself, “Well, this mouse has teeth. I am here to work and nothing more. If you insist upon your little tricks, you will find yourself once more bored.”

“Work? You going to ask me about my father again? My mother?” He slithered derisively, “For the parents I knew were no true parents.”

“They raised you,” Kay countered gently, “They loved as if you were their blood.”

“What do you know of how they raised me?” He had taken the bait and flared at her words, “You only know what my brother has told you and he is the golden prince. He’s not some bastard–” He bit his tongue, realising that he was revealing too much and turned on her once more, nearing her slowly, “Clever…but not so clever.”

“Well, I think we’re past discussing your parents, as it were,” Kay stated evenly, “We cannot blame all your actions on your childhood.”

Loki remained silent as he turned away, likely plotting how he would resist her. Despite himself, he often found himself giving her more than he intended. Kay could not help but wonder why she could so easily get to him but she knew he could also have the same effect on her.

“Why did you pretend to be Odin? Your own father?” She pressed on through the standstill.

“That’s a stupid question,” He replied tartly as he turned back to her, “All I’ve done, I’ve done to become king. If you can’t figure that out, then I can’t fathom why they’ve brought you here.”

“Yes, but why not be King Loki instead of King Odin? If Odin was gone, could you not have seized the throne as you did before?” Kay’s words were measured as she watched Loki to gauge his reaction; she could see in his eyes and the subtle flinch that she had struck true, “Where does this envy for your brother stem from, Loki? Why does he make you so angry?”

“He does nothing to me,” Loki’s voice was frightening as rage bloomed scarlet in his cheeks, “My brother is a dunce and he does not deserve to be king. He should never have been a prince. He has always been a spoiled brat and all he has, is just handed to him. But I—Damn you, woman!” He once again realized how much he said and his green eyes glowed as they focused on her, “Is this what we’re doing? You want to play mind games?”

“I am not playing games, Loki,” She corrected flatly, “I am merely talking to you.”

“Tell me about your childhood, Kay,” He neared her as his voice lowered, “What happened to you that you seek to converse with murderers? Something dark, I would guess.”

Kay remained silent as she watched him without expression. She had angered him and she would let him exhaust his ire rather than feed it.

“Hmm, what about your father, Kay? Was he…a murderer?” He ventured and she kept herself from wavering under his penetrative stare. He got closer as he walked around her and watched her as a snake would a rat, “Perhaps, he wasn’t so bad? Perhaps he only hit you. And your mother? What did he do to her? And poor little Kay had to watch all that?”

Kay gulped as Loki’s words were more accurate than he knew. She was aware that he was trying to play her and to a degree, he was. He was stirring within her memories which she had pushed away long ago. Feelings she had fought and suppressed so that she could feel human. She kept silent as he continued to circle her and closed her eyes, trying to shake away the past.

“Oh, Kay, did daddy beat your mommy? And when he finished with her, did he turn to you?” Loki prodded further as his footsteps ceased and Kay began to shake, trying to ignore the rising tears, “Oh, poor little Kay. Frightened little Kay.”

“Kanontienentha!” She nearly shouted as she opened her eyes to find Loki staring at her with his nose nearly touching hers as he taunted her, “My name is Kanontienentha!”

A snap rippled through the air and Loki was thrown back as the bracelet sent an unseen current around the chamber. Kay struggled to stay standing as she stared at Loki laying prone across the floor, his dark hair across his face. For a moment, he reminded her of her mother; though he was not racked with sobs and covered in bruises. And her father was not there, standing over her, but she swore he had been there almost a moment before.

“Daddy,” She said without thought, “You know my name. My name–”

Loki looked up at her as he sat up with visible shock and she turned away, clasping a hand over her mouth as she held back her tears. Her father had only ever called her Kay as he claimed her name was too difficult for his lips. He said it was no name at all. Her mother had given her a ‘savage’s name’ and he was only trying to help. _No, no, no._ He had merely wanted to beat the ‘Indian’ out of her. That was how he tried to help.

“Get me out of here,” She pleaded quietly before she found her voice again, “Please! Let me out!” She crossed to the door with frantic steps and began banging on them as she shouted. “Let me out!”

They opened and she stumbled into the corridor as they shut behind her quickly. She blindly made the few steps which took her to the next set of doors and they opened just as swiftly. She entered the observatory and looked around at the rest and they watched her with startled eyes. Without a word, she turned and hurried out of the room in search of her own. All she wanted was to hide. From the world, from the memories, from herself.

From Loki.


End file.
